Discussion Board

I was playing around on YouTube and came across the oddest thing. Something called hellochannelenglish is using episodes of the old McDougll MD TV show as a tool to teach english. OK. Whatever works, I guess. Still, if you don't mind subtitles, check out the Dr. M of the 1990s. Such a handsome fellow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zivw7iA4 ... ata_player

In other news, I've had great fun playing with the CRONometer iPad app. Combining this app with what I've learned from JeffN I'm attempting to design a very low-calorie density diet that is also well balanced with adequate levels of tricky vitamins like vitamin E and selenium, without using nuts.

Jeff clued me in on the following website that lets you rank foods according to specific nutrients:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-search

Something to while away the winter while waiting for the return of my lunchtime walks.

Kate

Speaking of calorie density, I thought the following post by Jeff earlier this week was brilliant:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=27290

In particular, I need to keep the following in mind:



Kate

Jeff has written about calorie-density in the past and very thoughtfully listed the calorie-density of fruit and vegetable products as in the passage below:


But in his excellent new video Nuts and Health: What the Science Really Says he presents this same data in such a clear visual manner that I just had to do a screen capture so I could print it out and stick it on my refrigerator:



Genus

Incidentally, the arrow is pointing to 567 calories/pound. This is the average energy density of diets as recommended by the authors of
Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity & The Prevention of Cancer: A Gloal Perspective

You can read a summary of the recommendations here:

http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/canc ... nglish.pdf

Kate

I use CRONometer for entertainment mostly. If I get bored I might punch in a day or two worth of food. I have noticed that vitamin E is difficult for me to get.

I was familiar with that web site, but not the nutrient search feature, that's pretty nice!

I came across the following article on the wonderful Science-Based Medicine site: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org.

The following article 'Calories In Calories Out' just reiterates what I've been trying to work through in this journal. Italics are mine.

"From an individual perspective, weight loss is simple (although not easy). It is a matter of calories in vs calories out – you cannot escape this equation. This means eating less and moving more. Simple, basic strategies to help reduce caloric intake seem to be the most effective. This means portion control, and limiting calorie-dense foods. The latter requires knowing how many calories are in food you are likely to consume. Limiting total caloric intake also means keeping track of how much you eat – which is deceptively difficult to do. Most people fail on diets because they simply underestimate their total caloric intake.

Here is a quick summary:

- Eat fewer calories. Do this by:

- Choosing lower calorie and less calorie dense food

- Avoid drinking calories.

- Use portion control [I know - how very unMcDougall. But for very calorie-dense or processed foods you better believe I get out the measuring cups and spoons]

- Track your food intake with a convenient and simple system, at least until you get a better feel for where your calories are coming from.

- Increase your calorie output by exercising more, at least three days a week, but more is better.

- Do something you enjoy as you are much more likely to keep up with it. Likewise, make it as convenient as possible.

- Little activities add up, so take the stairs when you can, walk when you can, and spend more time in recreation that involves moving rather than sitting.

- Weigh yourself weekly to assess how you are doing so you can make adjustments as necessary.

Those are the basics – you should at least start with these steps. The goal is long-term weight control, not a quick fix. That is the other problem with most “diets”- they emphasize short term weight loss rather than long term health and weight control.

Basically – do not think to yourself, “I just need to get these X pounds off then I can switch to long term maintenance.” The problem with this approach is that almost everyone gains all the weight back. You are better off just going to the long term plan initially – don’t be lured by the promise of rapid weight loss."

The entire unedited article is here:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/ind ... ories-out/

Kate

I've been emailing Debbie back and forth today as we try and figure out this whole calorie density thing. The scientist in me won't be satisfied until I get the same numbers Jeff gives in his posts and lectures. Debbie wants to avoid the math, and I won't be happy without it . So here goes.

First thing I learned is that you need to know the calorie density of the food based on its cooked weight. To get the cooked weight of the oats and quinoa I ate today, as well as all the raw foods, I took the values listed on nutritiondata.self.com. For everything else, I took the calories/gram from the nutrition labels on the packages.

My goal for right now is a 1200 calorie a day diet with a calorie density of around 400 calories/pound. This will insure that I get enough food 'bulk' to satisfy my hunger while still losing around 1/2 to 1 pound per week (at least that's the theory I'm testing right now).

Breakfast
1 cup cooked old fashioned oats: 166 cal/234 grams
1 TBS ground flaxseed: 35 cal/7 grams
1/2 Banana: 55 cal/60 grams
1/2 cup blueberries: 45 cal./ 70 grams
Total: 301 cal/371 grams x 454 grams/pound = 368 cal/pound

Lunch
1 cup baby carrots: 35 cal/85 grams
SNAP made from:
1/2 bag turnip green with diced turnips: 50 cal/170 grams
1/2 bag California-style vegetables: 60 cal/178 grams
5 Brussel sprouts: 45 cal/85 grams
1/4 cup baby Lima beans: 55 cal/42 grams
1/2 cup Pomi chopped tomatoes: 20 cal/125 grams
2 TBS Frog Ranch salsa: 10 cal/32 grams
1 TBS nutritional yeast: 20 cal/5 grams
1 large gala apple: 130 cal/242 grams
Total: 425 cal/964 grams x 454 grams/pound = 200 cal/pound

Dinner:
Salad:
2 cups raw spinach: 14 cal/60 grams
2 cups romaine lettuce: 16 cal/94 grams
1 cup sprouts: 8 cal/33 grams
1 medium tomato: 22 cal/13 grams
1/2 med. peeled cucumber: 12 cal/100 grams
1/2 large yellow sweet pepper: 25 cal/93 grams
1 large slice onion: 15 cal/38 grams
2 TBS fat-free salad dressing: 40 cal/30 grams
Total: 152 cal/571 grams x 454 grams/pound = 120 cal/pound
Stir-Fry:
2 cups chopped red cabbage: 55 cal/178 grams
1/2 bag frozen stir-fry vegetables: 75 cal/225 grams
1 cup sliced mushrooms: 20 cal/85 grams
2 TBS sweet and sour sauce: 60 cal/34 grams
1 tsp sesame seeds: 17 cal/3 grams
1/2 cup cooked quinoa: 111 cal/93 grams
Total: 333 cal/618 grams x 454 grams/pound = 248 cal/pound

Total for day: 1211 cal/2524 grams x 454grams/pound = 218 cal/pound
77% carbohydrate/7% fat/16% protein

Seems about right since, except for the oats, quinoa, Lima beans and seeds, everything I ate was a fruit or vegetable. Interesting experiment, but I can't say I'd ever want to do this again (unless I found I was gaining weight). Too much work, even for a nerd like me .

Kate

Not only do I suck at math, I didnt want to do all that imputting of information.

That was very interesting though. THank you for doing it.

That was an interesting read.

PS, I like my way better

I know it wasnt right, but still.

Last week was an excellent week. I really focussed on eating my 'green and yellow' vegetables, tracking my food intake and doubled the number of steps I was walking. The result was I dropped 3 pounds - which is stunning to me. Normally I can lose 0.5 pounds a week - tops. I certainly don't expect a repeat of this kind of weight-loss this week, but at least I'm going in the right direction again.

The main rules I am trying to follow are:
Eat mostly low-calorie density foods.
Eat only whole unprocessed foods (except for a few condiments like low-sodium salsa and soy-sauce)
Eat enough starches to be satisfied while keeping calorie intake around 1200 cal/day.
Track food intake in Cronometer (lovin' the iPad app)
Restrict variety (to control appetite) while still meeting all nutritional requirements
Increase number of steps above last weeks total - aiming for 15,000 a day.

Since I don't like tracking my food (all appearances to the contrary), I have decided to do a single menu for the week. The same thing repeated every day for a week, and then switch. Sort of like a Mary's Mini with different starches. That way, I only enter the food into the CRONometer once. This also meets the restrict variety rule. The menu for this week:

Pumpkin/banana oatmeal (made a whole pot last night)
SNAP with sweet potato slices
Apple
Big Salad with ff dressing
Vegetable and Mushroom Stir-fry with brown rice

Monday Morning Weight 144 pounds.

Kate

Wow Kate: You're diligence in analyzing and modifying the diet to maximize your weight loss is impressive, especially your results!! I lost 3 pounds last week too due to a gall bladder induced hospital stay, where I was on a nurse enforced water fast for 2 days. I think your method is way superior to mine

Thanks for doing this work and publishing it all. You're such a great help to all of us due to your inquiring and scientific pursuits in the areas of nutrition and exercise

We finally got some snow in Detroit yesterday, and I had an opportunity (ha!) to shovel the snow today. Silly to say, but I really enjoyed it. No wheezing or panting. Barely broke a sweat. Neighbor came by and offered to help an 'old lady' out and bring over his snow blower (my house sits on a corner - I have a lot of sidewalk to shovel), but I shooed him away. I was having too much fun . I can still remember how I couldn't even unload groceries from the card without having an asthma attack.
Kate

Hi Katy! That's really awesome about the snow shovelling and weight loss!

Monday weight 143 pounds. Down 1 pound.

I went to the mall yesterday or my Sunday '10K' mall walk. Six times around the mall, plus some light shopping. I needed a new bra and a new black skirt. I haven't had a proper bra fitting since - well, never. But I was at the last set of hooks on my current bras and I was still on the verge of spilling out they were so loose . I figured I was a 36 C. Wrong. I ended up with a 36 DD. Whoa! When did that happen? Bloody middle age!

I then went on the hunt for a new black skirt for work. I've been wearing a pedometer lately, but my favorite skirt is too loose in the waist and the pedometer won't count right. The skirt's an old size 12, so I tried on a 10 but it was too big! I tried on an 8 and it was a perfect fit! That size 6 is getting closer...

And speaking of pedometers, I completed the 150 mile 'Walk to New Orleans' challenge at work today, but I'm going to keep going and see if I can reach 300 miles before the challenge ends.

I need another 3,000 steps before the end of the day to reach today's goal of 11,000 so off to the treadmill. I've been working my way through the old McDougall MD videos I linked to above. My iPad fits perfectly on my treadmill stand, and it sure makes the time go quicker.

Kate

I've been reading Steven Pressfield's book 'Do The Work'
http://www.amazon.com/Do-Work-Steven-Pr ... 325&sr=8-1
on my Kindle as a means of getting myself organized. I posted this quote from the book under a different topic:

"Our enemy is not lack of preparation; it’s not the difficulty of the project, or the state of the marketplace or the emptiness of our bank account. The enemy is resistance. The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it so much as a nanosecond, will start producing excuses, alibis, transparent self-excuses, transparent self-justifications and a million reasons why we can’t/shouldn’t/won’t do what we know we need to do."

Well, I finished that book and it's a little gem. While ostensibly about working through writer's block, it's full of ideas suitable for people working on improving their health, too.

Take this quote. Sound familiar?

"We’re weeks into the project now. Good things are happening. We’ve established habit and rhythm. We’ve achieved momentum.
People are responding to us differently. We’re making new friends. Our feet are under us; we’re starting to feel professional. We’re beginning to feel as if we know a secret that nobody else does. Or rather, that we’ve somehow become part of a select society. Other members recognize us and encourage us; unsolicited, they proffer assistance—and their aid, unfailingly, is exactly what we’ve needed. Best of all, we’re having fun. The dread that had hamstrung us for years seems miraculously to have fallen away. The fog has lifted. It’s almost too good to be true.
And then we hit the wall. Out of nowhere, terror strikes. Our fragile confidence collapses. Nighttime: we wake in a sweat. That “You suck” voice is back, howling in our head. Did we stand up to someone in authority over us? Now we crawl back and grovel to him. Did we face up to someone who was treating us with disrespect? Now we beg him without shame to take us back. We’re poised at the brink of a creative breakthrough and we can’t stand it. The prospect of success looms. We freak. Why did we start this project? We must have been insane. Who encouraged us? We want to wring their necks. Where are they now? Why can’t they help us? We’re halfway, two-thirds through. Far enough to have invested serious time and money, not to mention our hopes, our dreams, our identity even—but not far enough to have passed the crisis point, not far enough to glimpse the end. We have entered … THE …BELLY…OF…THE…BEAST."

I went through the belly of the beast last year. I had reached the lowest weight of my adult life - 138 pounds - and then...I don't know, I crashed. Part of the problem was I was trying to compensate for my compulsive overeating with exercise and I burned out. I was exhausted. I stopped exercising, then I started snacking between meals to keep my energy up, which led to eating in cars, which led to buying food from gas stations, and so on.

This is what Pressfield has to say about crashes:

"Crashes Are Good. Crashes are hell, but in the end they’re good for us. A crash means we have failed. We gave it everything we had and we came up short. A crash does not mean we are losers. A crash means we have to grow. A crash means we’re at the threshold of learning something, which means we’re getting better, we’re acquiring the wisdom of our craft. A crash compels us to figure out what works and what doesn’t work—and to understand the difference. We got ourselves into this mess by mistakes we made at the start. How? Were we lazy? Inattentive? Did we mean well but forget to factor in human nature? Did we assess reality incorrectly?
Whatever the cause, the Big Crash compels us to go back now and solve the problem that we either created directly or set into motion unwittingly at the outset.
In the belly of the beast, we remind ourselves of two axioms:
1. The problem is not us. The problem is the problem.
2. Work the problem.
A professional does not take success or failure personally. That’s Priority Number One. That our project has crashed is not a reflection of our worth as human beings. It’s just a mistake. It’s a problem—and a problem can be solved."

"Working the problem" is what this journal is about.

Kate

Thanks for posting those quotes - all of it very much hits home for me. But, oddly I have to add this too - working this particular problem is kind of like our life's work and in a way enjoyable. I probably feel that way because the baseline of tools and support are here at our disposal. Still, remembering from time to time that the best tool can be to look at this process as simple deductive problem solving is a big help indeed!

Thanks again Kate

Great Post Katydid.Describes me exactly.Now I can try to ignore the brain talks and move on. RAS